The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is finally here, and this device brings some (or a few) notable improvements over the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The new Snapdragon chipset promises better performance, and the addition of a 50 MP ultra-wide camera feels like a solid upgrade. Then there’s the build quality, now enhanced with Gorilla Glass Armor 2 for added durability.
Design-wise, the S25 Ultra moves closer to the aesthetics of the S25 and S25+, but it still manages to stand out. It’s slimmer, lighter, and, most importantly, more comfortable to use. Samsung has made subtle tweaks that add up, giving the Ultra a refreshed feel without straying too far from what people expect. Let’s dive deeper with this hands-on review of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Design
The design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra is noticeably different from previous Ultra models. It feels less like a continuation of the Note series and more like a return to the S-series roots. At 8.2 mm, it’s thinner than the S24 Ultra by around 4-5%, and the weight has been reduced to 218 grams—a 15% drop.
You can feel the difference as soon as you pick it up. The sharp corners of the S24 Ultra are gone, replaced with a more rounded and comfortable frame.
The back design hasn’t changed much—four cameras, a laser autofocus, and a flash, all arranged in the familiar layout. The S Pen slot is still there, but the removal of Bluetooth functionality is an odd decision.
One of the biggest changes is the frame. It’s completely flat now, including the sides, and made from titanium, giving it a premium feel. It also supports dual nano SIM cards and eSIM. The display has gone fully flat too, moving away from the curved edges of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Durability is another focus this time. The S25 Ultra comes with IP68 water and dust resistance, Gorilla Glass Armor 2 for protection, and an anti-reflective coating on the display. It’s built to last and feels ready to handle everyday use without issues.
Display
The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a large 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a QHD+ resolution (1440 x 3120 pixels). The display is flat—just like last year—and it retains a premium, edge-to-edge feel with the thin bezels. It’s an LTPO panel, which means it supports a variable refresh rate from 1 Hz to 120 Hz.
Brightness is up to an impressive 2600 Nits, making it one of the brightest displays out there. Whether it’s outdoor use or HDR10+ content, the screen handles it effortlessly. Colors are vibrant and accurate too.
For protection, it’s equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2, ensuring durability against scratches and minor impacts. Overall, the display is bright, sharp, and offers a flagship experience.
Processor and Hardware
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, an overclocked version of the already impressive Snapdragon 8 Elite. Built on TSMC’s 3nm process, it features 2x 4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix-L cores and 6x 3.5 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix-M cores. For graphics, it comes with the Adreno 830 GPU. It even has a 40% larger vapor chamber.
In terms of memory, Samsung has kept things consistent with 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM across all storage variants—there’s no 16 GB option this time, at least in India. Storage options include 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB of UFS 4.0, offering plenty of space and fast read/write speeds.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite looks like a solid upgrade over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, promising better performance and efficiency. We’ll dive deeper into gaming performance and real-world benchmarks in the full review, so stay tuned for how it holds up against the competition.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra sticks with a familiar quad-camera setup but introduces a notable upgrade. Following the trend set by competitors like the iPhone, Samsung has bumped up the ultra-wide sensor to 50 MP (f/1.9). This should theoretically translate to sharper and more detailed ultra-wide shots.
The main camera remains the 200 MP (f/1.7) sensor with a 1/1.3-inch size, autofocus, and OIS. The telephoto options include a 10 MP (f/2.4) 3X zoom lens with autofocus and OIS, along with a 50 MP 5X lens for further zoom. Laser autofocus is also present, aiding in precise focusing.
On the front, there’s a 12 MP (f/2.2) selfie camera with autofocus. It can shoot videos in 4K at 30 or 60 FPS. Speaking of, the rear camera supports 8K recording at 24/30 FPS, 4K at 120 FPS, and standard 4K options at 30 and 60 FPS. HDR10+ recording is included for enhanced dynamic range. It can even record in Galaxy LOG and 10-bit HDR is now applied by default.
The upgrade to the ultra-wide sensor is interesting, and it’ll be worth seeing how much of a difference it makes in real-world use. For now, it looks like a capable and versatile setup. More on this in the full review.
Battery and Charging
In terms of battery, it’s powered by a 5,000 mAh cell—unchanged from last year. Charging speeds are also frozen, with 45W wired charging capable of taking the phone to 65% in about 30 minutes. Wireless charging is supported at 15W, along with reverse wireless charging for topping up other devices.
Software and Updates
The Galaxy S25 Ultra runs on One UI 7, built on top of Android 15. Samsung has committed to 7 years of major OS updates and 7 years of security updates, making it one of the longest-supported Android phones to date.
One UI 7 brings a significant redesign, which we’ll explore further in the full review, but it already feels more polished and modern. New Galaxy AI features are a highlight here. For instance, Samsung has added Audio Eraser, a tool that separates sounds like music, voices, or background noise in recordings—similar to features seen on Pixel and iPhones.
Another new addition is the Now Brief feature, offering a personalized morning summary that combines weather updates, messages, and reminders into one view. AI integration has been improved across apps. For example, in the Messages app, you can search for something like “best Chinese restaurants” and seamlessly share it with a friend using Google Gemini AI.
Other AI enhancements include predictive actions. For example, if you’re editing a photo in the Gallery app, the system will try to anticipate your next action to save time. And then, it has all the usual Galaxy AI features such as Photo Assist, Notes Assist, Drawing Assist, Circle to Search, Google Gemini, etc,. Also, with every Galaxy S25 series, Samsung was kind enough to include 6 months of Gemini Advanced alongside 2TB of cloud storage for free.
Full details on the usability and Galaxy AI features will follow in our complete review.
Miscellaneous
The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes packed with all the essential features you’d expect in a flagship. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G, and NFC. The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable, while the USB Type-C 3.2 port ensures quick data transfer. You also get Samsung DeX for desktop-like functionality and ultrawideband (UWB) support.
Pricing and Color Options
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes in four color options: Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver, and Titanium Grey. Additionally, there are some Samsung Store-exclusive color variants, but these four are the main ones available everywhere.
In terms of storage, you have the following options, alongside their pricing:
- 12/256 GB: ₹1,29,999
- 12/512 GB: ₹1,41,999
- 16 GB/1 TB: ₹1,65,999
Our Thoughts on the Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Galaxy S25 Ultra feels like an incremental upgrade over its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While it refines many of the features that the previous model excelled at, it doesn’t necessarily revolutionize the experience. However, it does come with some solid upgrades, especially in areas like design, performance, and software.
If you’re already using the S24 Ultra, you may find the improvements nice, but not ground-breaking. For first-time buyers or those upgrading from older models, it’s certainly a strong contender. Stay tuned for our detailed review to see how all these features stack up in real-world use. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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